About Us

Levine Center for the Arts is one of Charlotte’s major cultural destinations, home to Bechtler Museum of Modern Art, Harvey B. Gantt Center for African-American Arts + Culture, John S. and James L. Knight Theater, and Mint Museum Uptown. The Center was made possible through the support of the City of Charlotte, Mecklenburg County, Campaign for Cultural Facilities, and The Leon Levine Foundation, one of the country’s largest and most impactful philanthropic organizations, along with the generosity of Bank of America Foundation, Wells Fargo Foundation, and Duke Energy Foundation, among many others.

Levine Center for the Arts is located in Uptown Charlotte on South Tryon Street between Stonewall Street and West Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard.

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Lillian Blades: Mirrors of Life

ABOUT THIS EXHIBITION

Exhibition Dates February 3, 2018 – July 29, 2018

Picture frames, buttons, flowers, wood blocks, mirrors and other objects – random to some, but symbolic to Lillian Blades – represent both the artist’s past and present. Far from chaotic, viewing her work yields an unexpected calm and sense of wonder. These images, like most of her mixed-media collages, incorporate an array of patterns using found objects that seem to float on planes of bright and dark colors with each object holding a special meaning to the artist – picture frames are about capturing memories; buttons symbolize the loss of her mother – a seamstress – and the desire to remain connected; flowers represent her grandmother and her aunt who were both florists. In addition, these objects are also subjective – leaving room for interpretation and self-reflection by the viewer.

Every angle of Blades’ works encompasses discovery – physically, emotionally and mentally. Her images pay homage to her ancestral background and West African and African-American traditions while being both mesmerizing and reflective.

About the Artist

Lillian Blades was born in Nassau, Bahamas, in 1973 and currently resides in Atlanta, GA. She completed a BFA in Painting at the Savannah College of Art and Design, Savannah Campus and an MFA in Painting at Georgia State University.

In addition, Lillian has studied at the Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture in Maine and Caversham in KwaZulu Natal, South Africa. Her work appears throughout the United States, as well as The Bahamas, Trinidad, Germany, and South Africa. Her public commissions include Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport and Jean Childs Young Middle School. As a public artist, she enjoys collaborating with other artists and groups on large-scale assemblages such as The East Atlanta Library. Her artwork is also in the collection of the Birmingham Museum of Art and the National Art Gallery of The Bahamas.

Lillian was the 2016 Visual Artist awardee for The National Black Arts Festival. She also received an Award of Excellence in Visual Arts by The Bahamas Consulate in 2016.